Wazirabad

WAZIRABAD (32"26'N, 74"7'E), a subdivisional town in Gujranwala district of Pakistan, is sacred to Guru Hargobind (1595-1644), who halted here briefly while returning from his visit to Kashmir in 1620. Bhai Khem Chand, a local Sikh, placed at the Guru's disposal his own house (kotha, in Punjabi) which was subsequently turned into what came to be known as Gurdwara Guru Kotha Chhevin Patshahi. According to local tradition, Bhai Khem Chand died during Guru Hargobind's stay here and the Guru himself performed his funeral rites. A memorial to him in the form of a tower was later raised within the premises of the Gurdwara. Before it was abandoned in 1947, the Gurdwara was managed by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar. Religious fairs to celebrate Basant Panchami (in February) and Divali (in November) used to attract devotees in large numbers.

During the Sikh rule, Wazirabad was the headquarters of a district administered for a time by General Avitabile, a French officer in the service of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.